Card guide · Bilt Rewards points
Bilt Obsidian
Card guide overview
A $95 mid-tier card that earns transferable points on rent with no fee. 3X on dining or grocery (your choice), two semiannual $50 hotel credits, and an optional 1X Point Accelerator covering $5,000 per activation.
Key card attributes
| Issuing bank | Reward currency | Currency type | Network | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilt | Bilt Rewards | Transferable points | Mastercard | $95 |
Closest alternatives
- Bank of America Premium Rewards
- Capital One Venture
- Bilt Blue
At a glance
Earn points on rent with no fee, plus a $100 hotel credit for $95.
The Bilt Obsidian earns 4X on hotels through the Bilt Travel Portal, 3X on flights through the portal, 3X on dining or grocery (your choice; grocery capped at $25,000 per year), and 2X on other travel. At Bilt partner restaurants, the dining rate can reach 6X. It earns up to 1.25X on rent, mortgage, and HOA payments with no transaction fee. The $100 annual hotel benefit is issued as two $50 credits, and each credit requires an eligible minimum two-night Bilt Travel Portal stay.
The Obsidian sits between the no-fee Blue and $495 Palladium. For $95, it adds the restricted hotel credits, improved earn rates, and an optional Point Accelerator. Each accelerator activation costs $200 in Bilt Cash and adds 1X to the next $5,000 in eligible purchases. It may be activated up to five times per year, covering up to $25,000 in eligible purchases annually. The Bilt Cash system adds complexity: two earning systems run in parallel, Cash expires December 31st, and only $100 rolls over.
Best fit
Renters who want a mid-tier card that earns on housing and one strong food category
The dining-or-grocery choice lets you match the card to your spending pattern. If your largest food category is grocery, set it to 3X grocery and earn on one of the hardest categories to bonus.
Current timing
$200 Bilt Cash is the standard welcome offer
The Obsidian has consistently offered $200 Bilt Cash as its welcome bonus. There is no elevated window to wait for—the value proposition is the ongoing earning and housing rewards, not a one-time bonus.
Main watchout
Bilt program complexity is real—two earning systems, expiring Cash
Like all Bilt cards, you earn both Bilt Points and Bilt Cash in parallel. Unlocking full housing rewards requires non-housing spend each billing cycle. Bilt Cash expires annually. The Obsidian is simpler than the Palladium, but still requires active management.
Current & historical offer
$200 Bilt Cash has been the consistent welcome offer.
We compare public offers with public offers. Referral, branch, targeted and mixed cash-plus-points offers are outside this ladder.
Timing assessment
$200 Bilt Cash is a modest welcome offer, but the card earns back its fee easily.
At $95 with up to $100 in annual hotel credits, the Obsidian can offset its fee for someone who can use both semiannual credits on eligible minimum two-night Bilt Travel Portal stays. The $200 Bilt Cash welcome bonus adds first-year value, but the ongoing math—not the bonus—is the reason to hold this card.
Why someone may skip
The earning rates below 3X are uncompetitive with other $95 cards.
2X on other travel and 1X everywhere else trail the CSP's 3X dining/2X travel and the Strata Premier's 3X on multiple categories. The Obsidian's value is in housing rewards and the flexible dining/grocery category—not in being a daily driver.
Card benefits
Housing rewards and the hotel credit carry the card; Bilt Cash adds a parallel layer.
The tiers are a Points Brief editorial assessment of decision importance and rarity among comparable $95 transferable-points cards—not labels supplied by Bilt.
Tier 1 · Rare differentiators
Benefits uncommon enough at this fee level to influence the card decision.
Earn transferable points on rent and mortgage with no transaction fee
The only $95 transferable-points card that earns rewards on housing payments. On a $2,000 monthly rent payment at 1.25X, that is 30,000 points per year from an expense no other $95 card touches.
- ACH, Venmo, or check payment to your landlord with no transaction fee.
- Rate scales with non-housing spend: 0.5X at 25%, 1X at 75%, 1.25X at 100%+ of housing payment.
- Minimum 250 points per month even with no non-housing spend.
Know the limits: Full 1.25X requires non-housing spending equal to your housing payment in the same billing cycle. If you only use the card for rent, you earn just 250 points per month.
Point Accelerator adds 1X on $5,000 per activation—up to five times annually
Redeem $200 in Bilt Cash per activation to earn 1 additional Bilt Point per dollar on the next $5,000 in eligible purchases. It may be activated up to five times per year, covering up to $25,000 in eligible purchases annually.
- Each activation costs $200 in Bilt Cash and is not automatic.
- Each activation applies to the next $5,000 in eligible purchases.
- Up to five activations are allowed each year.
- Best used to convert Bilt Cash that would otherwise expire into points.
Know the limits: Each activation expires after $5,000 in eligible purchases or at calendar year-end, whichever comes first. This is an optional Bilt-Cash-to-points conversion mechanism, not an automatic earn-rate increase.
Tier 2 · Solid perks that cover the fee
Benefits that add value but should not drive the decision alone.
3X choice Flexible dining-or-grocery category at 3X
Choose dining or grocery as your 3X category. At Bilt partner restaurants, dining can reach 6X. Grocery is capped at $25,000 per year—more than enough for most households.
Switch your category preference in the Bilt app. Grocery is one of the harder categories to bonus with transferable-points cards at $95, but 3X is not market-leading—the Amex Gold earns 4X on both dining and grocery. The 6X Bilt partner dining rate is strong, but only applies at Bilt's curated restaurant network, not all restaurants.
$100/year Bilt Travel Hotel credits
Two $50 semiannual statement credits for eligible Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings. Each credit requires a minimum two-night stay and can only be used during its respective half of the calendar year.
One $50 credit is available from January through June and another from July through December. Credits do not roll over. The booking must be made through the Bilt Travel Portal for an eligible minimum two-night stay.
Tier 3 · Expected travel-card basics
Useful protections and services that should not drive the decision alone.
No foreign transaction fees Travel baseline
No issuer foreign-transaction fee on purchases made abroad.
World Elite Mastercard benefits Mastercard
Standard World Elite Mastercard protections including cell phone protection and ID theft protection.
Auto rental collision damage waiver Protections
Coverage for damage or theft on eligible rental cars when paid for with the card.
Stainless steel card Card baseline
All Bilt cards are metal—a premium touch at a mid-tier fee.
Comparison method: Mid-tier transferable-points cards including Chase Sapphire Preferred, Citi Strata Premier, Wells Fargo Autograph Journey, and Amex Green; public positioning reviewed in July 2026. Tiering is editorial.
Earning rates
The 3X dining-or-grocery choice is the anchor; housing rewards are the differentiator.
Bilt points are earned on top of Bilt Cash—a separate layer that can return up to 4% through the Bilt ecosystem. Rates shown are Bilt Points only; Bilt Cash earnings are additional.
Bilt partner restaurants (on dining setting)
Bilt's curated dining network of 20,000+ U.S. restaurants. Available only when dining is your chosen 3X category.
Hotels booked through Bilt Travel Portal
Hotel bookings through the Bilt Travel Portal. Also earns 3X on Lyft rides after linking accounts.
Dining or grocery (your choice) + flights through Bilt Travel
Your chosen food category at 3X. Grocery capped at $25,000/year. Flights through the Bilt Travel Portal also earn 3X.
Other travel
Car rentals, transit, rideshares, cruises, and other travel purchases.
All other purchases
One point per dollar on purchases not eligible for a higher rate.
Rent, mortgage, and HOA payments
Earn on housing with no transaction fee. Rate scales with non-housing spend in the same billing cycle.
Value context: Bilt points are estimated at 1.5–1.8 cents each. At 3X on your chosen food category, that is roughly a 4.5–5.4% return—competitive with the Amex Gold's 4X dining. Bilt Cash earnings of up to 4% add roughly another 4% on top, though Cash expires annually. The optional Point Accelerator costs $200 in Bilt Cash per activation and adds 1X to the next $5,000 in eligible purchases, with up to five activations per year.
Transfer partners
A growing but still maturing transfer partner roster.
Bilt Rewards points transfer to the airline and hotel partners below at 1:1 unless otherwise noted. Transfers are generally final. All three Bilt cards share the same transfer partner roster—the Obsidian gets the same access as the $495 Palladium. Bilt regularly runs limited-time transfer bonuses of 20–100%, which can significantly boost point value.
Key differentiator
Rent Daybonus transfers
Bilt runs frequent transfer bonuses—sometimes 100% or more—on Rent Day.
No other transferable-points program regularly offers 100% transfer bonuses. Bilt's Rent Day promotions (1st of each month) can make Bilt points the most valuable transfer currency on specific dates.
Major airline transfer partners (1:1)
Airline programs available for point transfers at 1:1.
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France–KLM Flying Blue
- Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Emirates Skywards
- Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
- Iberia Plus
- Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- Singapore KrisFlyer
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- United MileagePlus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Hotel transfer partners
Hotel programs available for point transfers.
- World of Hyatt
- IHG One Rewards
- Marriott Bonvoy
Why Bilt points can be more valuable than they appear
What sets Bilt apart in transfer value.
- Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- World of Hyatt (shared only with Chase Ultimate Rewards)
Sources and methodology
Sources for this page
- Last checked: July 24, 2026
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